Like we said in yesterday’s Smack, the NBA releasing its regular-season schedule shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but at the same time, it’s kind of hard to gloss over when there’s almost nothing else happening in the news. Dime’s Jeff Chen listed his Top 10 games to watch this season, but we’ve got a few more to add … Opening night, Oct. 27, will be headlined by Celtics/Cavs on TNT, followed by Clippers/Lakers, when Kobe and crew get their rings and the championship banner is unveiled. (You think Spike Lee won’t be there front-row to schmooze with his new favorite team? There’s a better chance Jack misses that game than Spike.) And if you get NBA League Pass, Wizards/Mavs and Rockets/Blazers is also on that night … And there’s lots of good stuff the next night, Oct. 28, the first real “full” schedule. Defending conference champ Orlando debuts at home against the Sixers, and if the T’Wolves have hired a head coach by then, his first game will be at home against New Jersey; Emeka Okafor immediately sees the benefit of playing with Chris Paul, as the Hornets open the season with an ESPN game at San Antonio. When was the last time Emeka played on national TV? At UConn?; Kings/Thunder will be a buckets-fest between Kevin Durant, Kevin Martin, Russell Westbrook, Tyreke Evans and James Harden; and Pistons/Grizzlies tip off the We Don’t Want Allen Iverson Classic, where Hasheem Thabeet meets Kwame Brown and hopefully isn’t staring his future in the face … Welcome to the NBA, Blake Griffin. The #1 pick’s first-week lineup has him at the Lakers (Pau Gasol/Lamar Odom), home for Phoenix (Amar’e Stoudemire), at Utah (Paul Millsap/maybe Carlos Boozer), home for Dallas (Dirk Nowitzki), and then home for Minnesota (Al Jefferson/Kevin Love). That’s rough. Then Blake has to go on the road and play the Space Jam aliens team by himself, before a time-machine matchup with Hakeem circa 1995 … The next chapter of Derrick Rose vs. Rajon Rondo — with “Rondo’s pimp hand vs. Brad Miller‘s face” on the undercard — is scheduled for Oct. 30 in Boston. Not to mention that mixture of KG, ‘Sheed, Perkins, Joakim Noah, Tyrus and Miller in the paint could lead to an all-out Royal Rumble … If things work out the way the Wolves hope, Nov. 6 will be the first Brandon Jennings vs. Ricky Rubio matchup on American soil. That same night, LeBron returns to MSG and the world’s biggest recruiting pitch kicks off again. LeBron then goes back to Orlando on Nov. 11, where he’ll get booed like crazy and the pre-game handshake/dap will be the most media-covered handshake since Belichick/Mangini … Christmas Day features five national TV games: Miami at New York, Boston at Orlando, Cavs at Lakers, Clippers at Suns, and Nuggets at Blazers … With most of the top free agents being taken care of — though we’re still waiting for A.I., David Lee, Ramon Sessions and Ray Felton — now some teams have to turn their attention to getting their current stars under long-term extensions. October 31 is the deadline for D-Wade and LeBron to re-up, as well as ’06 Draft first-rounders like Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay and Rondo … With the Grizzlies locked into save-money mode, do you think they should let the deadline pass on Rudy Gay and take their chances when he’s a restricted free agent in 2010? And what should the Bulls do about Tyrus Thomas? … B-Roy and the Blazers reportedly verbally agreed on an extension last night, and we’ll let you know the financials when we hear them. Before that, you know somebody on the Blazers’ management side of the table had to bring up Roy’s old knee issues, and you know Roy’s side looked at them like they were crazy … White Chocolate is auditioning for the Knicks this week, which could signal the end of Nate Robinson‘s tenure with the team. We know Nate has his flaws, but would you really rather have a 33-year-old PG with bad knees who hasn’t played basketball in a whole year over one of the best athletes in the League who can play two positions and is your most explosive scorer? One of our writers thinks Chris Duhon needs to step up his scoring for New York to make a playoff run next year, but Duhon will have to morph into prime Steve Francis if Nate isn’t around to put up points … Your daily sign that Twitter is getting out of control: San Diego Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie got fined $2,500 by the team for complaining about the training-camp food on Twitter. Can you imagine if you had Twitter and mobile devices back when you were eating school lunch in elementary school? “Why is the mac-and-cheese yellow AND orange?” … “This pizza has no crust” … “Somebody forgot to mash my potatoes” … We’re out like Rudy’s extension …

Join The Discussion

The Knicks and Clippers get a Christmas game and the Bulls don’t. What is wrong with the world.

08.05.09 at 2:02 am

omar

hahah mash my potatoes………

08.05.09 at 2:03 am

Duke

If the Knicks don’t get LBJ would they actually Boo him then?

08.05.09 at 2:26 am

ponky_alolor

duhon scores more after games than he does during.

08.05.09 at 2:39 am

robinspa

hasheem thabeet = shawn bradley

08.05.09 at 2:40 am

robinspa

posterized nightly

08.05.09 at 5:00 am

BRUCE

People do not be like Spike Lee. Lee was rooting for the Knicks and now the for Lakers. That joker is a faker. One time till death due you part!

08.05.09 at 5:08 am

K.I.R

who doesnt want AI classic -lmao

08.05.09 at 6:02 am

Ashlov

Wow, you mentioned the Heat and Knicks in the same sentence, and didn’t follow it up with some Doomsday prediction what Wade will leave Miami for New York. You guys switch to decaf?

08.05.09 at 6:28 am

sans

i feel you Rick (and thanks for not saying first!)–whose dick did elgin baylor and donnie walsh suck to get a christmas game?!

DIME, hilarious Smack today.

08.05.09 at 6:32 am

sans

Oh, and I’m saying this today, 10 months in advance–DETROIT WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. They got too much talent, no one in the middle, a logjam at wing, and have to depend on Charlie V to be consistent. They need to buy a ball retriever for Ben Gordon and his name is not Amir Johnson.

Maybe they should try and get Darko from the knicks!

08.05.09 at 8:22 am

jzsmoove

When was the last time the Clippers even sniffed a Christmas Day game? Rudy Gay IS not a franchise player BUT has got to be signed to an extension by the Grizz. I just hope that Gay is not dumb enough to sign it and should go for the one year qualifying offer instead.

Has any NBA players gotten into Twitter fights yet? Like mouthing off or bitching about the next cat then bringing that ish to the floor?

08.05.09 at 8:43 am

Spliff 2 My Lou

Wow the NBA is really pushing for Blake Griffin to become a star. Three national games in the first week for the Clippers? That’s already 3 more than they had last year. Makes sense for the market but the Clips are still the Clips.

Speaking of Twitter getting out if control, after reading about JR Smith twitting using Blood street gang slang I stumbled on the twitters of some real OG’s. They were twitting about codes of the street, territorial areas, and jailhouse recipes. Seeing gangstas tweet is unsettling. Being somebody who grew up in heavily gang affiliated neighborhoods I never imagined something like this. It’s unbelievable that the twitter phenomena has extended into that culture.

08.05.09 at 9:05 am

King

I dont understand that fine they gave him . So if he was giving an interview with a Network and they ask whats the worst thing about training camp and he gives then same answer does he get fined???

08.05.09 at 9:48 am

Chicagorilla

What happened to a Bulls/Celtics xmas day game? Damn the L must plan on making us(Bulls) suck this year and making the CLip show good. Well at least Stern gave us Derrick. Back to the lottery we go!

08.05.09 at 10:02 am

Chicagorilla

~Diego Luna~

08.05.09 at 10:04 am

Chicagorilla

NBA2k has a NBA draft combine download coming out. for those video game heads check out the link

for the NBA schedule, thanks to david stern for beating the kobe vs. shaq horse to death on christmas day. as if we haven’t already had enough of that NOW we get kobe vs. lebron. say hello to the christmas day game for the next 5 years.

wouldn’t it be awesome if both lebron and d-wade sign the extensions? then what do the knicks do and all the other teams saving $$ for next summer? i guess they overpay bosh. that would be some funny stuff right there.

08.05.09 at 10:50 am

Phileus

October 27th will be a sticky night for Spike Lee’s boxers

08.05.09 at 11:10 am

the cynic

Roy is a max player in my book, and the only one from that draft class

08.05.09 at 12:37 pm

P...

no mention how the Houston Rockets make ZERO national tv appearances? but the Timberwolves get 1?

08.05.09 at 1:39 pm

ponky_alolor

@21, that’s what happens when your star player is out for the season. and no, we’re not talking about t-mac here. at least not yet.

08.05.09 at 2:07 pm

that's whats up

Spike Lee had to make a whole damn movie/documentary just to switch teams

Spike, Doin’ Work on Kobe’s nutz

08.05.09 at 6:03 pm

Leonard Wilson

J. Williams is overrated! Hot garbage…

08.05.09 at 6:44 pm

J.Hicks

P, you know Minnesota got a national game with the idea that Rubio might be playing for them by then. Even with Yao out, you’d think Houston would get at least one game with T-Mac.

08.05.09 at 6:52 pm

Mack Brownee

Since when did the golden state warriors become the “Space Jam aliens” or is Dime just making light of the rough schedule BG faces?